Gilas’ guards ready for Tony Parker

Jayson Castro. Photo from Fiba.com

Gilas Pilipinas truly faces a tall task with France standing in its way to open the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Tuesday.
Despite the monumental challenge that lies ahead, the Filipino guards have indicated their readiness to face off against Les Bleus playmaker Tony Parker.

READ: Road to Rio: What would it take for Gilas to reach the Olympics?

“For me, hindi ko naman iniisip ang matchup na yun kasi playing against European teams, hindi talaga uubra yun mga individual plays. More of [a] team talaga kami (For me, I don’t think about that matchup because in playing against European teams, individual plays won’t work. We’re more of a team),” said Jayson Castro. “We need to play as a team para may chance na manalo bukas. Once na inisip kasi namin yung mga individual (plays), no chance talaga kami against European teams, especially against France pa (We need to play as a team so we have a chance to win tomorrow. Once we think of the individual [plays], we have no chance against European teams, especially against France).”
The duel between Castro and Parker is one of the most sought-after storylines to start the Manila OQT as it will see two premier guards of their respective continents clash.
But for the skipper from Guagua, Pampanga, who was hailed as the best point guard in Asia twice, he knows that their team will shine brighter if they stick with coach Tab Baldwin’s system.
“Yung focus namin is to play as a team especially on defense, yung mga help defense namin (Our focus is to play as a team especially on defense, our help defense),” he said.

It’s not just Castro, as Terrence Romeo is also expected to have his turn defending against the longtime San Antonio Spurs guard.
The 24-year-old scorer, though, agrees with Castro and believes that Gilas Pilipinas’ key to victory is not to deviate from the path laid down by Baldwin.
‘”Focused lang kami sa gameplan. Kung ano yung pinag-praktisan namin. Mahirap isipin habang naglalaro ka na NBA players sila. Mawawala ka lang sa focus. Ang importante lang isipin mo yung gagawin mo para sa team para maging maganda ang takbo namin.”

(We are focused on the gameplan. [We are focused on] what we have practiced. It’s distracting to think while playing that they are NBA players. You will lose focus. What’s important is to think of what you can do for the team so our play will be smooth.)

READ: Gilas focused on getting gameplan together, says Norwood

Turning back France, the world’s number five team, may be improbable for a team like Gilas Pilipinas, but the chances of doing so isn’t impossible.
“Tingin ko nag-prepare naman kami ng best preparation na kaya namin. Kung ano yung mangyari sa game, basta ibibigay namin yung best namin,” said Romeo.

(I think we did the best preparation we could. Whatever happens to the game, we would give our best shot.)
Castro added, “Lahat naman kami ready na. Halos lahat kami, first time namin makakaharap si Tony Parker kasi nung nakalaban namin ang France (in a tuneup match in 2014), wala sya.”

(We are all ready. It would be the first time for almost all of us to face against Tony Parker because when we played against France [in a tune-up match in 2014], he wasn’t there.)
“Parang napakahirap nilang talunin, pero may gameplan naman kami (It seems difficult to beat them but we have a gameplan) to give ourselves a chance of beating them.” RAM